Most of us postpone creating an Estate Plan. Some
postpone until it is too late and then those that follow us suffer.
Among the common reasons why we put off doing what we know we
should:

I don't have enough of an estate to worry about,

I am too young,

Everything we own is joint
property.

All of these reasons have some validity and should be
taken into account. One of the main problems is that death has a way of
happening when we least expect it. Another problem is that
sometimes we think everything is taken care of when in fact it is not.

I recommend that
especially when you are starting a family, getting married, or forming a
new relationship, you speak with an estate planning attorney about your
situation and get professional advice. You will then have the
satisfaction of knowing you have done what you can to take care of your
needs and those who depend upon you.

Over the years I have seen many people grapple with
the question of whether to engage in estate planning or not. I have seen
many postpone the matter until it is too late.

Death is
inevitable and often comes unexpectedly

It is beyond the scope of this site to deal with the
subject of the fear of death in any meaningful way. In fact, we have
found that this is one of those deep seated, intractable issues that is
not easily addressed through logical discourse. When asked, everyone
knows that they will die - someday. It seems that the greater the
certainty that someday may be near at hand propels many to take the
plunge and plan their estate.

For the rest of us, there may be a myriad of
psychological reasons for the hesitancy to plan for our death, but
whatever the reasons, the cost of putting it off may be tremendous.

We have seen countless situations where the delay
resulted in greatly increased cost and considerable inconvenience for
the survivors. In some cases it meant that the clear wishes of the
person were defeated by family members who ignored what they were told
and did what they wanted.

Simply (and possibly harshly) put, estate planning is
an act of maturity and responsibility. I congratulate you on having
brought yourself this far in that process and urge you to use this
opportunity to complete the planning of your estate.

The time to act is now

Being responsible for our lives and those of our loved
ones is best dealt with today, not at a future time. At the very least,
consult with an attorney of your choice to ask questions and get some
indication of what will be needed in your situation.

Then budget your time and money to get the process started. You
just never know when you will need it.

If you need to create or revise an estate plan or will,
you should seek the assistance of a Los Angeles estate planning attorney at the
Law Office of Philip J. Hoskins.